Repeating action for upright pianos.



No. 854,058. PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

0. SAUTER.

REPEAT-ING ACTION FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 001.19.1906.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REPEATING ACTION FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907'.

Application iiled October 19,1906. Serial llo; 339,609-

Be it known that I, CARL SAUTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore city, and State of Maryland, have invented.certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Actions for UprightPianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a repeating action ormechanism applicable to upright pianos, the object being to provide anaction requiring but little pressure at the key board to operate and atthe same time one which will respond quickly to the touch of the key,thereby materially assist- .ing the performer in. the rendition andexecution in performing, especially so where quick runs are required. Bythe use of my improvement these runs can be easily accomplished withoutsacrificing the accurate ness and evenness of the tones and also withless physical force than is ordinarily required in performing oninstruments of like character not equipped with my improvement,

and the general playing of the instrun'ient is much improved.

With the foregoing object in view, my invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will behereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is an elevation of the action,showing it as in a state of rest. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the action,showing the parts just after the wire has been struck.

A is a key bottom or base.

1. is a jack 2 is an arm. on the upper end of the jack 3 is a leversecured to the upper end. part of the jack 1 4 is a nosing upon thelever 3 provided. upon the jack 1 is a guide pin 5 for the purpose ofguiding the lever 3 6 is a spring uniting the lever on the jack 1 with vthe hammer-butt 7; 8 is a back-stop and 9 an arm which is a part therat; 10 is an upright wippen supporting thereon the jack 1; 1 1. is anupright back check 12 is a hammer 13 is socket of the hammer butt 7; 14is the main rail to which is secured the wippen 10; .15 is a wire orstring of the instrument.

It will be noticed that in the construction of my action I have, to agreat extent, done away with the use of springs upon which other actionsof similar character depend for the action thereof, and which are liableto get out of order, therebyrendering the action less positive anddurable. In the construction of my action but one spring is required;this spring 6 is secured upon a movable lever 3 attached to the jack 1,and is flexibly jointed to the hammer-b utt 7 by means of the springbeing formed into a hook 1.6'on its free end, and a flexible loop 17made of any suitable material, (preferably of silk cord) being securedto the hammer butt 7 and the hook 16 being engaged by the loop 17. As aresult of this combination of the lever and spring, the latter is placedunder tension at the hammer stroke and, after disengagement of the jackand hammer strives to press back the jack into the socket 18 of thehammerbutt 7. The jack is affected by the slightest abatement of thehammer pressure, (of about one-fourth the key travel), in such a mannerthat the repetition takes place with extraordinary rapidity. The spring,by reason of its connection with the hammer, serves to pull the latteraway from the wire.

The jack 1, which is pivoted upon the wippen 1(), has an arm 2 on itsupper right end portion which projects sideward and grips into thesocket 1 3 of the hammer-butt 7 the depending lever B is pivoted uponthe upper left end part of the jack 1, which is connected by the meansof the spring 6 with the hammer-butt 7 in the manner above described.The lever 3 is provided with a nosing 4, upon which, when the hammer isin a position of rest, the arm 9, of the back-stop 8 rests. The hammerand the wippen 1 0 are attached in the usual manner to the main-rail 14,and the back-check 11 is attached in the usual manner to the wippen 10.After a complete hammer-stroke and while the key is retained in itslowest position, the hammer 12 as is well known is held in a standingposition short distance from the string 15 as shown in Fig. 2 by meansof the back-stop S and the backcheck 1 1. The hammer on its forwardstroke has drawn the hook end 16 of the spring 6 forward, thisaetiontending toforce the nose end 4 of the lever B rearward and theupper end forward. Thus the nose is maintained in contact with the arm 9of the back stop, and the arm 2 of the jack is retained within thesocket 13. After disengagement of the jack and hammer, the ack is heldstationary, while the hook end of the spring is drawn farther forwardwith the butt of the hammer and the lower end of the lever B is forcedforward by the still-advancing back stop, the result of this actionbeing that the spring is i )laced under greater tension, so that, the

nose 4 working against the arm 9, the tendency of the spring is to forcethe jack forward into engagement with the hammer, or, what is the samething, force the hammer back into engagement with the ack. Therefore,upon a slight relaxation of the pressure upon the key, and theconsequent rearward movement of the back check 11, back stop 8, and thehammer, the arm 2 of the jack is caused by the spring to be re-engagedwith the socket 13, and immediately upon. pressure again being exertedupon the key stroke of the hammer against the string takes place.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of theseveral parts herein described, without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, and hence l do not desire to limit myself to theexact construction as herein set forth but,

Having described my invention, what .i claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a jack to actuate thehammer, a projection carried by the hammer, a lever interposed betweenand working against said jack and projection for effecting engagement ofthe jack and hammer, and a spring connecting the lever and hammer foractuating said lever,

12. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a jack to actuate thehammer, a projection carried by the hammer, a lever pivoted to said jackand bearing against said projection for effecting engagement of the jackand hammer, and a spring connecting the lever and hammer for actuatingsaid. lever.

3. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carriedby said hammer at the front thereof, a jack standing intermediate saidhammer and projection, a

lever pivoted to said jack and depending at the front thereof, saidlever having a forward ,1 l l l l l 1 protuberance to engage saidprojection, a spring secured. to and extending upward from said lever,and connection. between the upper end of said. spring and the hammer.

i. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carriedby the hammer at the front thereof, an upright jack disposedintermediate said hammer and projection, a lever pivoted to said jackand depending at the front thereof in position to bear against saidprojection, a spring connecting said. lever and hammer, and a guide forsaid lever extending forward from the jack.

5. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carried.by said. hammer at the front thereof, an upright jack disposedintermediate said. hannn'er and, projection, a lever pivoted. to said.jack and depending at the front thereof in position to bear against saidprojection, a spring secured to and extending upward from. said. leverand having its upper end formed as a hook, and a loop connecting saidhook and hammer.

6. A piano action, comprising a hammer. a wippen, an upright jackpivoted to said. Wippen and arranged to actuate said hammer and. to bedisengaged therefrom during the operative stroke, a back stop carried bysaid hammer at the front thereof, and in. front of said jack, said backstop having an. arm depending therefrom, a lever pivoted. to said jackand depending intermediate said jack and said arm in position to bearagainst the latter, a spring connecting said lever and said. hamn'ler,and a hack check airried. by said wip'pen in front of said back stop andin po sition to engage the same.

In testimony whereof I. aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

UAR L SAI I T l) .I l

itnesses:

E. Huron Bmnvixc'rox, Many M. Mneinxw.

